Misunderstandings
by Eaglesgirl
Summary: HP characters closer to AVPM than movies/books. Strange story written on an excitement high for the release of AVPS and my current Spike obsession. T to be safe.


Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series or anything/one from it. I also don't own the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don't have any hold over the amazing James Marsters either (but I did by his cd!)

Note: Well... this is what happens when I get just a little too excited about _A Very Potter Sequel_ coming out tonight. And, well, add that to my recent James Marsters/Spike addiction and this is what you get. I'm going to blame the handful of Spike/Hermione stories I managed to find out here on the interwebs... it wasn't bad enough that I'm a Draco/Hermione fan is it? You had to make me find this one too. Ah well... I'd say "enjoy" but I feel like "good luck" might be more appropriate.

* * *

The information had been relayed to Harry straight from the mouth of Albus Dumbledore. Although a disappointment, it didn't come as a surprise that all of the vampires had joined the giants, werewolves, and dementors on Voldemort's side. It was pretty much expected that they would, but the Golden Trio had been holding out hope for a better outcome.

What was surprising was that Dumbledore was wrong. Most of the vampires had joined Voldemort. One had not. Or so the vampire claimed.

Spike, Hermione had quickly decided, was one of the most gorgeous men to ever walk the planet. She found herself wondering how many women had the same thought in the two hundred or so years be had been undead. And, taking a slightly more morbid tone, she wondered how many had thought the same thing seconds before he bit and drained them.

Hermione had to remind herself that he was more or less harmless at this point. They had force-fed him a bit more vertiseum than necessary when he had shown up offering to help and questioned him far longer and harder than they should have.

But as it stood, Spike couldn't bite anyone and he was thus completely harmless to Hermione and her friends (not to mention her enemies). Really, the only reason that Dumbledore had asked Spike to stay was that he could help out with some of the demons and vamps that were sure to come with Voldemort's attacks and Spike had connections to the slayers. Dumbledore said that they could use the slayers for backup if things got out of hand.

Dumbledore had given Spike a small, hole-in-the-wall type office space with no windows near the dungeon to live in for the time being. It seemed to suit Spike just fine and he had a grand time annoying his closest neighbor, Snape, and terrorizing some of the more impressionable Slytherin students, namely Draco Malfoy.

Draco, for his part, really didn't like the vampire. He could just feel that there was something off that no one else was seeing and he was determined to make it known. The only problem was that Draco was far too uncomfortable being around Spike to figure out what it was that bothered him. So, Draco avoided Spike whenever possible and spent his days dreaming of Pigfarts, where vampires would never be allowed in the school and would be ripped apart by Rumbleroar and his cubs if one ever dared enter. And of course, he dreamed about Hermione Granger.

.:.

After a month, Hermione, Ron, and Harry had gotten quite used to the presence of Spike in the castle. He often sat with them when they took their meals in the Great Hall, would sit with Hermione and watch while Ron and Harry practiced Quidditch, and helped the trio research useful jinxes in the library. Ron found Spike to be amusing and appreciated his apparent dislike of Slytherins. Harry liked that Spike could be around to look after Hermione when he and Ron wanted to fly or escape doldrums of the library. Hermione found Spike to be intelligent and a rather gifted conversationalist. And, in line with her original impression, he was most certainly easy on the eyes.

Spike was hiding something though. He didn't much mind Harry, although he found the boy's blind courage more annoying than admirable. Ron was far too thick and awfully prejudiced, in Spike's opinion, but an alright sort altogether.

Hermione was a different story. Spike had found himself infatuated with the girl the second he laid eyes on her. She most certainly not the traditional beauty, not like Drusilla, but she was beautiful in her own way. She didn't have Buffy strength, but she was determined and quick-witted. And she wasn't cruel like Cecily was, she was unerringly kind, the exact opposite to his first love. And that was the conclusion Spike had come to; he was in love with Hermione Granger.

And he was determined to make her love him too.

As Spike saw it, there were two ways to go about claiming her, passively or aggressively. He could do what he had been doing, being charming and helpful, letting her come around, or he could mark her now and explain later. He was absolutely convinced, beyond a doubt, that Hermione was his intended mate and he wasn't about to let Ron or any of the other Gryffindor males steal her. But for now, Spike knew that it was better to not act, Hermione would be his in time.

.:.

It was at the year that Voldemort attacked. Spike, soul firmly anchored, fought alongside of his beloved Hermione. He held her shaking, sobbing form when Voldemort called Harry out. He stood next to her as she and Ron tried to rally the others. He held her tightly when she turned to him and hugged him when it was all over.

Now was the perfect time. The war was over. The world had its new beginning and Spike was now determined to have his. Spike turned his head, nuzzling Hermione's neck before whispering an "I love you" too quiet for her to hear. He found the base of her neck and sunk his fangs there as she tensed.

Hermione had been ecstatic when she had turned to see Spike, like the rest of her friends, alive and relatively unharmed. She threw her arms around him in a congratulatory hug, just as she had Harry. He hugged her back and then he bit her. Hermione had never considered that killing others, even for the greater good might bring out Spike's demon. But here was Spike, her extremely attractive, intelligent, and helpful friend, trying to kill her… or even worse, trying to turn her. Hermione began to panic. Everyone else was mourning or celebrating and not paying attention to the vampire sucking Hermione's blood.

Then Draco staked Spike.

A grateful and bleeding Hermione fell through Spike's ashes and into the awaiting arms of Draco Malfoy, her savior. And that was how Hermione's relationship with Draco started. Ron might have been her best friend, but he hadn't saved her from the vampire, Draco had.

It would be another seven years before Hermione would realize Spike's true intentions. Their son had asked about the marks on Hermione's neck and she had finally put all the clues together. That night, she shared her revelation with Draco. He seemed shocked (although he had figured as much at the time, from the look in Spike's eye to the intensity he had protected the witch during the battle) and they settled down for bed like usual.

Spike, now bodiless but unable to go to heaven or hell, floated invisible outside their door.

Took her long enough.


End file.
